Curl
by RenoXanders
Summary: Carly and Optimus share some personal time, learning a little about the other, and letting off a bit of steam in the process. I got hit out of the blue with this rather off-beat idea and decided to really run with it and see where it went. Exploration of my own experiences perhaps, but with a Cybertronian twist! Rated M because of some undertones and more mature, adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Curl**

Carly walks out to the cliffside that overlooks Serenity, California at Autobot Headquarters. With the intention of watching the sun set as she waits for her boyfriend, Sam, to return from work, she brought an old blanket to sit on and later wrap up in as the temperature inevitably drops.

A large, angular silhouette fills most of the space between two trees that are growing near the cliff side. It appears that she is not the only one with the idea to watch the sun set to pass the idle time this evening. Not wanting to break the silence, Carly continues towards the overlook without a word. She comes to stand to the left of the silent titan that is Optimus Prime. The Autobot is partly reclined, right leg bent up and leaning on his left elbow as he looks out over the valley from the gentle slope of the overlook.

A light breeze tosses her fine dark blonde hair across her face and she brushes it back behind her ear as she picks up that _scent_, the scent of machinery. Diesel. Warm metal. A smell Carly has now more or less begun associating with the Autobots. But, her nose catches something else that she hasn't smelled before, and it causes her to furrow her brow in confusion while she tries to identify it. It is then that she sees a strange tube-shaped object held dexterously between his right middle and index finger. She sees what she assumes to be smoke curling lazily up from the far end of the tube.

Just as Carly's brain starts to make the inference that this object could be the equivalent of a cigarette, Optimus lifts it to his lips and draws in a long breath, verifying her suspicions. Prime rests his hand back across his stomach and he slowly exhales.

Carly gets goose-bumps as her most deeply held secret fetish (if you will) plays out before her eyes, on a massive scale. She watches the 'smoke' pour from the Autobot's mouth, and then from his nose as he closes his mouth at the last moment.

She has always entertained a certain enjoyment from watching a man smoke, she finds the behavior, all its subtleties and motions and even its effects to be quite calming and in some cases even slightly erotic. Smoking as a habit though does not sit well with her because of its side effects, at least when it comes to tobacco. But she loves to watch the man manipulate the smoke upon exhaling. And Optimus just inadvertently preformed one of the behaviors that Carly particularly loves.

The two watch the cloud of 'smoke' rise and dissipate against the blushing sunset. The bluff is refreshingly quiet, save for the rare chirp of a cricket and the odd breeze rustling through the tree leaves, so Carly can hear Optimus breathing or 'cycling' as she was recently informed. "_We cycle air through the intakes to cool the body and provide the oxygen necessary for the conversion of your diesel fuel to usable energon_." That was how Ratchet, the Chief Medical Officer explained briefly to her one evening after she bombarded the somewhat grumpy old Autobot with questions regarding a wide range of things from their history to their physiology. The latter being a subject the CMO was far more eager to discuss, and did so enthusiastically when presented with questions.

Carly watches the slow rise and fall of Optimus' huge chest, enraptured for a moment by how human he seems, despite his enormity. The vibrant reds and brilliant oranges of the sunset reflect on his gleaming paint and remind Carly of the view it's a mirror of. She turns to watch the sunset paint the sky in countless shades of red and pink, orange and yellow, even purple. Her gaze slowly returns to Optimus as he unknowingly stokes the growing fire of her emotions. She hears the whisper of hydraulics in Prime's arms as he lifts the 'cigarette' to his lips and takes another drag.

Optimus looks up at the flame-painted sky for a moment before he gazes slowly down at Carly. Angling his head to the side he exhales the smoke all at once in a quick puff, Carly's toes curl involuntarily, and he looks back at her. "Good evening, Carly." He rumbles softly, his pleasantly smoky baritone rouses her from her momentary awestruck stupor and she makes eye contact with the Cybertronian. She has to collect her wits for a moment to make sure she doesn't stumble over her own tongue.

"Hello, Optimus," she starts in her smart, British accent, trying now to figure out how to best ask the question that her mind is screaming at her to ask. "Are you," she pauses a little awkwardly, "ah…," a blush is starting to rise in her cheeks, "are you smoking?" She finishes, looking up at the huge Autobot.

Optimus turns the corner of his mouth up in a small smile, "Well, I suppose that is the best comparison, yes. I can stop, is it bothering-"

"Oh, no! No! You're fine!" Carly stops him mid-sentence, her tone reassuring. "It's just, I guess…" She battles with herself over whether or not she really wants to tell him her 'secret'. She caves with a sigh and dives in headfirst. "I guess you could say I have this, sort of, _thing_ for smoking. Like…The movements, gestures, manipulation of the smoke, that sort of thing." She admits slowly, hesitantly, curling a lock of her hair around her finger and absently biting her bottom lip. Carly is overcome by a rush. Her mind floods with shock. How in the world was she able to just spill her secrets to him? She truly doesn't even know him all that well! And yet here she is telling him one of her biggest turn-ons!

Optimus Prime, to his credit, remains quiet for a moment, arching an optic ridge in respectfully subdued curiosity. He immediately picked up on her change in demeanor and with prudence, he treads cautiously. After a short span, he draws a breath and speaks, "You're saying that certain behaviors, movements, or actions executed by someone as they smoke," he pauses, clearly trying to find the best and most benign word to use before continuing, "excites you?" He is now genuinely and innocently inquisitive of this new hidden facet of the human psyche Carly has revealed to him.

Taking another drag, he watches Carly blush furiously and drop her gaze immediately to her feet. He holds the 'cigarette' between his lips and reaches down to her, gently lifting her face to meet his gaze with the tip of his massive index finger. He starts to exhale through his nose before he pulls the 'cigarette' away to speak, "Carly," he begins, smoke curling out of his mouth as he speaks, "there's no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed about that. In fact," his voice drops a bit to a darker, more enticing tone that catches Carly off guard even more than she could have imagined and it strikes her somewhere she is startled to acknowledge at first, "I find it particularly intriguing." His voice drops slightly lower and the husky tone rumbles in her chest as his cobalt optics narrow slightly as he explores this curious reaction. Optimus' mind is starting to slow a bit as the chemicals in the 'cigarette' start to slowly take effect, comparable to the manner in which THC* affects the human brain.

Carly's chest tightens in a sudden hot wave of… arousal? Wait, what? Where is this coming from? Why is this all of a sudden turning her on _so_ _much_? Her mind is clouded; Optimus Prime just played her like a finely tuned instrument, with his soft touch and the tone of his voice coupled with the knockout punch of the smoke curling from his lips with every word. He did her in. Carly bites her lip, her expression one that Optimus recognizes quickly. Her eyes almost beg him to continue down this path and, admittedly, he is quite happy to oblige, eager to further his own immersion in this euphoria he knows he can now share with another. He doesn't know what may come of this but he sees no harm in exploration.

Carly sighs shakily with this unexpected arousal as the big Autobot reclines fully onto his back with a barely audible groan. The ground beneath Carly's feet trembles ever so slightly as the leg that Prime had bent up slides out and falls to the ground with a dull thud. Lifting the 'cigarette' to his lips, Optimus takes a long gracious drag and holds it for a span.

Setting the blanket on the ground and taking a seat on it, Carly watches as his huge chest expands graciously. Her eyes follow the suddenly very human-like outline of Optimus' chest up to his neck, where subtle motion catches her eye briefly before she turns her attention to his face, specifically his mouth. His lips part and a curling cloud of vapor rises and hovers just beyond the curves of his lips for a moment before a gentle exhalation pushes the vapor out in a slowly swirling cloud. Prime's lips close and the last of the vapor trails from his nose, rising to join the first cloud as it disperses above him.

"Optimus," Carly whispers. The Autobot slowly turns his head to look at her, and as his cobalt blue optics meet her blue eyes, they begin to dilate. Optimus blinks slowly as the 'high' really starts to set in. Carly swallows hard, she has a pretty good idea of what the Cybertronian is probably feeling right now, and that thought alone works to intensify her growing desire to be _closer_ to him.

"Yes, Carly?" Optimus' voice is soft and low and he raises an inquiring optic ridge.

"Do you mind if I get a little closer to you?" She chews on her lower lip and her hands work the bottom hem of the light, white denim jacket she is wearing anxiously.

Optimus' optics immediately soften to an obliging gaze, "Not at all. Here," he replies, reaching over to her with his left hand, palm upturned as an invitation, "climb on. I'll sit you on my chest."

Carly stands and walks over to the enormous hand and her right hand grips his thumb as she hesitates. "You sure-"

"No, please. I insist." Prime interjects gently, urging her onto his waiting palm. Tenderly wrapping his fingers close around her he lifts her to his chest where he helps her climb down to sit comfortably between his chest plates atop his sternal shielding. Carly settles in, takes off her flats and tosses them to the ground and crosses her legs.

Beneath her, Optimus shifts, raising his left arm to rest his head on it. Instinctively, Carly's hands slap down to steady herself and she jumps a little as Optimus speaks, his voice rumbling against her bum and hands, "Comfortable?"

Carly slides her hands across the very smooth metal beneath her as she notices the warmth emanating from it, like a car's hood after a long drive. And then she notices a very subtle and slow vibration beneath her palms. A little stumped she hesitates, "Yes," she starts, pausing as her brain tries to comprehend what her hands are telling it. "You're quite warm…" another pause as the steady vibrations continue at very regular intervals. "Optimus, what exactly am I feeling right now?" she asks timidly.

Optimus lifts his head just enough to make eye contact with her and blinks slowly, "Your hands are quite possibly detecting the rhythmic vibrational dynamics between the spark core module and the energized plasmic aura that encases it."

Carly's whole body slumps a bit as Optimus' words sail right over her head and she makes an utterly confused expression, blinking slowly as if to clear her vision. "What?" she quips softly.

Optimus' optic ridges furrow as he realizes he went way to technical for her and softens his expression in understanding. "My spark." He replies simply.

"Your what?" Carly, not paying attention, tilts her head, as she is still trying to make sense of what the Autobot had said.

"Ah, forgive my oversight." Optimus amends, "I forget you are not nearly as well acquainted with Cybertronians as Samuel is. The Spark is the Cybertronian's 'heart', Carly, in that it serves a nearly identical purpose."

Carly's eyes go wide with the sudden understanding and she timidly withdraws her hands a few inches from the warm metal, "Oh... my," she whispers. Optimus' expression is tender, humbled by her reaction. His lips curve in the subtlest of smiles and he lets his head fall back to rest on his arm once again.

Carly's mind is filled with curiosity, her year of anatomy and physiology study in college comes flooding back. She has always had a fascination with physiology and now that she is faced with this very alien life form, she struggles to understand him. Despite being comprised of mechanical parts, this being has obvious biologically structured physiology.

Deeply intrigued, she now pays closer attention to what she feels, sees and hears as her experience continues to change and develop. The whisper of hydraulics catches her attention and she blinks a few times to refocus her eyes and watches Optimus lift the 'cigarette' to his lips and take a robust drag. She can't help but smile in amusement as his chest rises, lifting her along with it. He holds his breath for a span of nearly twenty seconds before letting it out heavily.

As the big cloud of vapor mingles with the branches of the trees above them a ripple of warmth spreads across Optimus' body and Carly clenches her jaw a bit, drawing a sudden breath as she feels the thrumming of the Cybertronian's 'heart' tangibly quicken beneath her. Optimus lifts his head and intentionally locks gazes with Carly because he knows what's about to happen. He just took a massive hit and flooded his nervous system with chemicals; he's about to get very 'high', very fast.

Carly's stare is drawn into the deep cobalt blue of Optimus' irises and as she almost subconsciously notices the cough-like hitch in the big Autobot's breathing she watches his optics flare brightly, his lips part slightly and he lets out a soft huff as his pupils dilate right before her eyes. His head is swimming with euphoria now and he smiles at her before letting his head fall back to the ground. "Did you catch all of that, Carly?" he whispers, closing his optics and enjoying the steady onslaught of sensations.

Carly nods, "yes, that was quite a strong reaction. I wasn't really expecting any of that. Of course, I've been comparing you to humans so apparently the reactions are going to be quite different I see." Her words become soft as she notices the racing of Prime's spark beneath her. She smiles inwardly as she is able to draw at least that analog between humans and Cybertronians.

"Mmmh," is all Optimus can manage to vocalize as he is swallowed up in this lovely high. His whole body has become quite sensitive and almost tingles. He can almost feel every blade of grass as they brush against the sides of his immense body. He can feel the minute points of cool water that have condensed on his armor in the mild chill of the evening. He can distinctly feel Carly's weight on his sternal shielding. Her warm body pressed against his chest armor presents a whole new host of sensations to him. The tiny trembling of her muscles as they tense to support her, the rush of her blood beneath her warm skin with her pulse.

Every move Carly makes now sends thrills of sensation through his chest and with a sudden start, Optimus realizes with a distinct jolt that he has placed Carly in a now even more sensitive than usual place. Directly after this realization he trembles subtly with a wave of pleasant static tingling. His second realization hits home as his abdomen tenses involuntarily, he may very soon be introducing her to his more visceral side after a few more minutes in this heightened sensory state.

A tremor shakes his massive frame, immediately causing Carly to drop forward to her hands and knees to stay balanced. Unbeknownst to her, this change in position sent a jolt of ecstasy through his body. Concern paints her face and she peers down towards Optimus' face, "Optimus? Are you alright?"

"Yes," he manages to start softly, "Carly, I'm aware that humans view certain things differently than Cybertronians," Optimus has a rather difficult time maintaining an even tone through the sentence as the accidental stimulation intensifies as Carly relaxes on her belly across his sternum. "But I am afraid we have, um, stumbled into a now unavoidable situation." He swallows hard, placing the 'cigarette' on the ground for the time being.

"What do you mean, Optimus? What's wrong?" Carly's worried expression slowly goes neutral, then as she again becomes aware of Optimus' spark as it beats hard and fast beneath her and his quickened breaths.

"I'm sorry to be so… terribly forward with you," he takes a long breath, "but you seem to have inadvertently stumbled upon my most sensitive of areas and… I am now… perhaps past the point of no return."

Carly stares at Optimus' face as eerily familiar expressions start to show. She can see his pulse in the thick cables of his neck and it at last dawns on her what he was referring to when he said 'sensitive'. "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry Optimus!"

"No, no, it's fine. Don't apologize." He manages to smile gently, "Now, this can go one of two ways," He grunts with a spasm as Carly sits up.

"Sorry."

"Either you lay back down flat against my chest and hold on for the ride, or I can put you on the ground and I'll finish what you seem to have started. The choice is yours."

Carly's mind is swamped with innumerable thoughts but one gut feeling takes over.

If this is anything like what she thinks it is, Optimus Prime is about to get off and she is not the type to deny any man that pleasure, so without another word she lies down on the warm metal of Prime's sternum. Her hands slide timidly across the smooth metal to rest, palms down, by her head as it rests against his sternum.

Absently, her fingers gently caress the metal as Optimus starts to tremble and twitch beneath her. A sudden, unabashed moan of pleasure slips from his lips and Carly's eyes go wide as Prime's hands shoot out and slam into the ground, his fingers digging into the soil.

* * *

_~0~0~0~0~_

_* Tetrahydrocannabinol. For those too lazy or whatever, THC is the chemical in marijuana that basically causes the 'high'. _

_ If you want a more-better explanation, Google that sh*t!_

_A/N_

_EHRMAHGHERD! So I gotta type more and I guess it will just have to end up as a SECOND CHAPTER! Awkward as it may be mind you._

_I don't really know why this story happened, but I had a hell of a good time with it and it came outta nowhere. I just couldn't resist. I ran with it. Don't hate!_


	2. Chapter 2

The terror that grips her manifests as a small squeak, as the force at which Optimus' hands hit the ground jars his whole body. Inexorably, the adrenaline runs like sudden ice in her veins as her hands latch on to whatever is the closest, which happens in this case to be the outer rim of Prime's sternal shielding. The metal is warm and flawlessly smooth.

"Carly," Optimus whispers breathlessly, "are you sure-"

Carly stops him with a gentle press of her index and middle fingers to his lips, "Shh." A small snap of static nips her fingers and Optimus rumbles a soft groan. _Oh, this is going to be interesting_... she muses, looking into the big Autobot's dark cobalt optics. She watches the delicate slivers of metal that comprise his irises expand and contract minutely as he tries to properly focus on her. His optics snap shut suddenly as his head tilts back and hits the ground with a rather heavy thud just before his whole body tenses, arching up. He lets out a soft groan and Carly is suddenly in a cage of massive fingers.

Optimus tenderly lifts Carly from his chest and with a subtly trembling left hand pulls down his sternal shielding to reveal the iridescent metal of his spark housing. Carly's eyes go wide as she glimpses the roiling blue energy that has begun to expand through the vertical gap between the two halves of the metal sphere of Prime's spark casing. "Do you trust me, Carly?" Optimus growls almost breathlessly.

After only a moment's hesitation, Carly whispers a yes and Optimus settles her down just below his spark chamber. On her hands and knees in his chest, she is now face to face with Optimus' actual body, and for a moment she takes him in, noting the delicate gleam of the fine nervous filaments that show here and there across the metal of his 'skin' before her attention focuses on the subtle rise that defines his spark housing in his sternum. From behind the metal half spheres, she glimpses his beating spark through the glowing blue aura of pure energy surrounding it.

"It won't hurt you, Carly." Optimus breathes, almost like he knew that her urge to reach out and place a hand on the shining metal was very strong. Warmth pours off the Autobot's body in waves and the hair on Carly's arms and the back of her neck has started to stand on end from the static. She reaches out timidly to the swirling blue plasma and touches the tips of her fingers to it. Ice cold and hot at the same time, the plasma flows with a static tingle over her forearm and up towards her shoulder, stopping at her bicep. The edge of her consciousness is graced by sensations of another's emotions and with a start, she realizes that Optimus Prime is actually feathering gentle touches to her consciousness with his very _soul_.

Nearly overwhelmed by emotions, Carly pulls her legs up underneath her and sits, reaching forward and pressing her palm to the warm metal of Optimus' spark chamber. Optimus tenses with a soft cry as her touch causes little snaps of static to jump between them.

Momentarily mesmerized, she watches Optimus' spark beat trough the slit in the metal housing. She can hear it, a deep thrumming sound and a quickened _zap-snick, zap-snick, zap-snick_ that matches time with a somewhat eerie but very familiar sounding _lub-dup_ sort of sound that makes Carly's chest tighten. She closes her eyes and listens.

A reassuring presence seems to envelop her whole being and she just seems to know immediately that Optimus' soul has embraced her. Her eyes snap open and she fervently presses her other palm to the shining metal of Optimus' spark case, drawing an unabashed moan of ecstasy from the Cybertronian's vocal processors. Delicate tendrils of crystalline looking neural fibres begin to extend from around his spark housing towards Carly, tickling against her legs and forearms gingerly before braiding into slightly more substantial cables, which tenderly run across the soft skin of her forearms.

Suddenly Optimus jumps and the cables draw back as if scalded and Carly immediately sits straighter, concerned, "Optimus, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I am so sorry," he starts, his voice a little shaky, "I just intruded quite personally without your consent. Please forgive my selfish behavior…"

Carly immediately reaches her hand out and takes tender hold of the closest nerve bundle and pulls it up her forearm to cradle it close to her body. This sends a vicious jolt of pleasure through Prime's nervous system and he grunts at the sensory assault. "Optimus," Carly whispers, "there is no reason for you to be apologizing. I want you to be _free_." As she finishes, she pulls the gently swishing fibres against the bare skin of her chest. Immediately her haunch of their being tactile sensors is verified as Optimus is swept up in a fit of spasms that thrust his chest skyward as Carly's heart beats quickly against his delicate sensory tendrils.

The sounds Optimus Prime is making right now only further verify his state of rapture as this tiny organic life form presses herself against his neural cables. Carly can't hold back her aroused whimper as Optimus' back arches gracefully before he speaks, his baritone low and husky, "Carly, could you perhaps," he pauses with a moan and a spasm, "lay across my spark chamber?"

Silently she obliges, her breath bated for his reaction. A tremor shakes his frame as again his back arches towards the sky. Carly's heart races against the sensitive metal she is laying on as the eerily human sounding beat of Optimus Prime's spark thrums quickly in her ear. Optimus desperately presses his body; his spark, closer to the origins of his indescribable bliss: Carly, once, twice, three times. Then, an almost pained cry, nearly a wail escapes his lips as Optimus' body is suddenly awash in white hot bliss.

His systems hyper charged, he is overwhelmed by wave after wave of joyous tingling sensations originating at the point of contact between his spark chamber and Carly's body. His body trembles and seizes in what the woman can liken to quite an intense orgasm. Rather aroused and quite humbled by his unbridled expression of bliss he seems to feel throughout his entire body, Carly holds fast against the hot metal of Prime's spark housing. Gentle, tingling static washes warmly under her wherever her body touches his.

Slowly, Optimus' body begins to relax and he sinks to the ground limply. Carly's eyes are wide as she lightly rubs her left hand across the shining metal of Prime's chest. "Oh my God," she whispers softly. Optimus is cycling heavily, panting it seems. Tremors crawl across his body and heat pours off him in waves. Shifting to pull away, Carly is suddenly receives multiple little static shocks all over her body and lets out a yelp, drawing back quickly.

Concern paints Optimus' face as he carefully props himself up and addresses her, "Are you alright, Carly? I did not anticipate that static discharge." Carly meets his optics and opens her mouth to reassure her safety, but stops short of speaking when his expression changes drastically.

"Optimus, you look like you've seen a ghost, what's the matter?" Carly asks before noticing that Optimus' gaze flicks to his sternum, then to her before dropping off to the side, almost in an embarrassed manner. Carly looks down at his chest where she approximates his gaze to have been cast, to see a dark almost pearlescent blue liquid that has started to bead into existence across the iridescent metal of Prime's spark chamber. With a downward glance at herself, she sees that she has some of that same liquid soaking into the knees of her pants and a little on her hands and forearms.

"Sweat?" Carly ventures, looking back up to his face. Optimus hangs his head, looking rather embarrassed. She absently wipes her arms and hands on her jeans out of sheer habit. These jeans are nothing special, she's had them for ages and she doesn't particularly care if they get a little dirty. Curious though, she runs a finger through some more of the liquid and rubs it between her thumb and forefinger. It feels slick and warm, and she feels it leave a bit of a tingle on her skin, like you would if you were to get pure cinnamon oil or peppermint oil on your lips. It has a subtle scent of iron or copper, and a rather pleasant almost sweet diesel fuel.

"Not quite," Optimus rumbles.

"Um, then…" Carly trails off, pondering the rather viscous liquid. A thought occurs to her with a bit of a jolt in her stomach and she makes eye-contact with Prime, who speaks before she can even begin forming words.

"It's energon based, like my 'blood' but functionally different. Very different." He leaves the statement rather open-ended. "I'm sorry it got on you and your clothes. I don't often overload with a purge, especially of this volume." Carly's expression morphs through a few different stages of confusion and Optimus mentally face-palms, again having gone a little over her head. With a defeated sigh, he sits up on his elbows a little and reaches over to his side to pick up the forgotten 'cigarette', tapping the end with his middle finger to empty it and storing it someplace on his hip. After a moment, he takes a breath, pauses, and spills, "You could call it ejaculate, I suppose."

Carly's initial reaction was exactly as Optimus had anticipated. Shock widens her eyes and her lips part a little. His expression darkens. "I'm sorry, i-"

Carly cuts him off, "Please don't apologize to me, Optimus." Her expression is tender now, "There's no reason to be embarrassed. Clearly, what you felt was nothing short of amazing. And as such, I am glad to have been given the distinct honor of providing that experience for you." Carly tilts her head softly and places a gentle, reassuring hand on the alloys before her that thrum with the still quickened beating of his spark. "I'm humbled that you were willing to share something so intimate. Few, if any humans ever truly allow themselves to _really_ feel and not hold back how they feel. You don't hold back. That, in itself is liberating."

Optimus' spark leaps, singing with relief, as he was almost certain she would be completely put off by his rather unabashed behavior. Especially in light of how humans view the subject of sexuality, intimacy and the like as being rather taboo.

"Can I be honest with you, Carly?"

"Of course, Optimus."

"As I mentioned in passing earlier, I am quite aware of how humans view the topic of sexuality, and I must admit to being rather confused at your ready acceptance, and I could go so far as to say _approval_ of what has just transpired between us." Optimus pauses for a moment, taking in Carly's expression. She nods, urging him on. "What then has allowed you to view these events as such?"

"I see it for what it truly is. Fundamental, and carnal, and emotional. As much a part of who we are as breathing. The most meaningful thing we have to give of ourselves. It's beautiful. _What you showed me was beautiful_, Optimus."

Optimus is struck silent as he takes in what she told him. She has such wisdom at her young age. He finds himself rather humbled now by this little carbon-based life-form. "Thank you." He manages before lapsing again in to silence.

"No, thank _you_." Carly pointedly presses her palms to the pulse of his spark beneath the metal of its chamber, smiling as its quickened pace at last begins to slow.


End file.
